buying a scope

hi, i am new. my name is Dan. I am buying my first telescope. I wanted to get this one since i am limited on cash.
http://www.meade.com/starterscopes/ds_series.html

i was thinking the top one. the Meade DS-2130ATS. i want to just look out into space, see andromeda and our planets. i have used one before in my life.

any help would be appreciated. any advice or what you think....thanks!

Dan

hi, i am new. my name is Dan. I am buying my first telescope. I wanted to get this one since i am limited on cash.
http://www.meade.com/starterscopes/ds_series.html
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Hi Dan.

Welcome to Astromart, there are lots of good folks here who have both knowledge and experience who are want to help people get a good start in the hobby.

Regarding the Meade DS-2140ATS, this is a $400 scope. There are better choices IMHO at this price point. This scope is what is known optically as a Short Tube Newtonian or Jones-Bird scope, it has a fast spherical mirror and a corrector to length the focal length as well as try to clean up the image. The result is a longer focal length but with optics that do not provide sharp views, especially at higher magnifications.

A better scope IMHO at a similar price point is the Celestron 130SLT.

http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?t=&pid=8739&m=1

This is a 130mm F5 Newtonian with a Parabolic Mirror that can deliver nice sharp images at high magnifications and at the same time fit large chunks of the sky in for low power viewing. And it is still in an a relatively compact package.

Broadening the playing field a bit, there are a number of other choices. In getting the good views of dim DSO's and seeing the nice planetary detail, "aperture" is your ally. That same $400 will buy you a nice 8 inch Dobsonian. This is a simple scope but one with enough oomph to keep you excited for years to come.

There are lots of scopes at there at under $400 that are nice and will give good views. The job is determining which one will suit your needs... Going to a star party or hooking up with someone with some experience can be a big help.

And coming here, that was a good move.

Best wishes, clear skies...

jon

On a limited budget, if you're spending money on electronics, you're losing out on aperture or quality. Also, cheap GOTO isn't very newbie friendly, generally.

The Orion "Intelliscopes" are the cheapest "Goto" scopes that seem to get generally good reivews. (although strictly speaking they aren't "goto", they're "push-to".)

A few good books will get you well on your way to finding objects without electronics.

Hi dan my first scope was a celestron 76gt which is a 3" reflector with a goto system. I am very happy with that scope it tought me the sky and where to find things. I have since steped up to an 8" celestron no goto. I have also bought two meade scopes for my kids. I have found the quality of the celestron to be much better. I agree you should try an astronmy club and look and learn about all the different brands of scopes. And who knows you might find a good buy on a great used scope never count that out. Good luck and keep asking about what you found and well all try to help guide you.

Daniel Carrone said:

hi, i am new. my name is Dan. I am buying my first telescope.

Dan,

Here's my two cents: make sure you get something easy to use. The most aperture can end up getting you a scope that you will use less often (a 6" dob can be pretty heavy and is not apartment friendly). One of my most used scopes is a small refractor.

Also keep in mind that the wider the field of view, the easier it will be to find your way around the night sky. Not to be too technical, but if you can find a 'fast' scope (F6 or lower) you may spend less time hunting around for objects.

Now with the accumulated 'cents' from all these posts, you should be able to afford a great scope.

-David